What schools should I be looking for? (Realistically)

<p>I live in Florida and I have a 4.0 GPA, on a 4-point scale, with a 4.65 weighted GPA. I will have taken 8 AP classes by the time I graduate.</p>

<p>On my first SAT I got a 1990 with subscores:
M: 630
R: 660
W: 700
and I'm taking it again in May to better my Math score at least.</p>

<p>On the ACT I got a composite score of 33 and combined E/W of 30, subscores:
M: 33
R: 33
E: 33
S: 31
Writing: 8
My dream school is UNC Chapel Hill and my primary in-state goal is UF. Are these about where I should be aiming?</p>

<p>And I am a junior.</p>

<p>I think we need to know what you are looking for. The world is broad, and has many colleges.</p>

<p>collegevetting I want to go to a large public university in the 30-60 national range with a good computer science program. </p>

<p>Your ACT is much better than your SAT, and within range for any school in the country. If I were you, I would not waste time retaking the SAT. You are unlikely to raise it enough to compare with your ACT. Just don’t send the SAT.</p>

<p>What I <em>would</em> do is take a couple of SATIIs, in order to keep all of your options open. Far better use of your time to prep for a couple of them.</p>

<p>Why is UNC Chapel Hill your “dream” school. (I strongly advice against falling for this whole “dream school” business.)</p>

<p>Realistically, you should be looking for a school you can afford without more than about $17K in federal loans upon graduation. What schools fall within this line depends on your family’s finances.</p>

<p>Consolation I already registered for the SAT so I might as well take it to see what happens. But which SAT II’s would you recommend? And I’ve just always been in love with the school. If I don’t get in, I don’t get in. But it’d be awesome to be able to attend.</p>

<p>UNC is supposed to like APs, so yours help. </p>

<p>I think it is a good thing you are retaking the SAT, I would expect you to get at least better than 2000 depending on how much you studied, how much better. This last year between the time my sons created their college list and researched the schools and the time results came in (still pending on many) some universities changed rules and if you sent ANY sats you had to send all. I don’t know if that would apply to this, but the ‘rule changing mid stream’ would make me prefer to have a solid score available in case I had to put them out there, were it me.</p>

<p>I think you have a SHOT anywhere, and you definitely need SAT IIs. IF you are good at math take SAT II Math 2 but if not, I wouldn’t necessarily unless applying to a program that requires it. People get 800s or close to it on that often enough that if you don’t get around or better than 700 it might not help your resume, imho. Others might comment on that point. I wouldn’t even bother with Math 1. It would be better imho to do a science you can get a high score on. The point is do the ones you will do well on, since they are to show you off to advantage, unless you are required to take specific ones. Within that, it is nice to have a blend of math/science on one hand and humanities related ones on the other, imho. Having said that, one of my sons took Literature and History because he knew they were his ‘near 800’ subjects and didn’t do math or science because they aren’t his strongest suits (he’s good, but not instinctive at math and he didn’t want 640 or something.)</p>

<p>You’re a healthy match for UF. UNC is very difficult to get into OOS because it is limited to 18% oos admission, so you’re a low reach there. </p>

<p>I’m going to spend your money like there is no limit, and then you can run the “net price calculator” at each school and take the results to your parents to see what they will spend.</p>

<p>Have you considered UMaryland-College Park, Cornell, Berkeley, VTech, Carnegie Mellon, UIUC, CPSLO, and, if you’ve never seen it, UCSB? UMD and VTech are safeties if you can afford them and you’ve visited and you would go there.</p>

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<p>If you are going to take them this June, probably two subjects you are taking APs in–and doing well in–now. Unless you are planning to apply to a program wit specific requirements–and ti doesn’t sound as if you are–then any two would be fine.</p>

<p>I would do some practice tests online and see how you do. Pick two or three, and get the prep books t run through the materials and do some practice tests.</p>

<p>IIRC, you can sign up for any combo, and take whatever you prefer on the day. The exception would be a language test with listening, which is only available on specific test dates. It is really preferable to take 3, so that the school can look at the top 2, but many find taking three on one test date too fatiguing. If you bomb one, you can always take another in October.</p>

<p>Oh, and I agree: DO NOT take Math I. If you take math, take Math II.</p>